Mar. 22.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 615

supported by proof of the candidate having acted as second, third, or fourth engineer, as the case may be.

21. Service in the engine room (afterwards referred to) for qualifying a candidate to be examined for first-class engineer’s certificate must be only in those capacities which afford opportunities of obtaining practical experience as an engineer; and service in the capacity of greaser, winchman, labourer, engineer’s steward, or any other capacity than that of engineer taking watch on engines for propelling, will not be accepted.

22. It is provided by “The Shipping and Seamen’s Act, 1877” (section 32), and by section 4 of “The Shipping and Seamen’s Act Amendment Act, 1899,” that every person who makes, or procures to be made, or assists in making, any false representation for the purpose of obtaining for himself or for any other person a certificate of competency, or the issue of any such certificate, shall for each offence be liable to imprisonment for any period not exceeding twelve months with or without hard labour, or a penalty not exceeding one hundred pounds.

23. If, after a candidate has passed his examination, it is discovered on further investigation that his services are insufficient to entitle him to receive a certificate of the grade for which he has passed, it will not be granted to him; but if the Marine Department are satisfied that the error in the calculation of his services did not occur through any fault or any misrepresentation on his part, the certificate may be issued to him, or he may be allowed to go up for re-examination without payment of further fee when he has performed the amount of service in which he was deficient, as the Marine Department may direct.

24. If in such a case the applicant’s services are sufficient to entitle him to receive a certificate of a lower grade, and he has not wilfully misrepresented the amount of his services, an inferior certificate may be granted to him, and the fee paid by him for the superior certificate may be placed to his credit in the payment of the fee for the inferior certificate.

25. In such a case, when the applicant has by further service made up the time in which he was found to be short, he may be required, before he can receive the higher certificate, to be re-examined in all the subjects.

26. If any certificate of competency issued by the Marine Department which has been defaced so as to become illegible, or has been seriously injured by wear-and-tear, is presented to a Superintendent of Mercantile Marine in the course of duty, the same should at once be transmitted by the Superintendent to the Secretary of the Marine Department, together with the usual form of application for renewal of certificate, duly filled up, in order that a renewed certificate may be issued. This will be done free of charge in those cases where it is satisfactorily shown to the Marine Department that due care has been taken of the original. This power will have to be exercised with great discretion by the Superintendent of Mercantile Marine, so as not to interfere with any engagements for sea-service which the possessor of the injured certificate may have entered into.

27. When the holder of a certificate passes the examination for a certificate of a higher grade his certificate of the lower grade will be withdrawn, and retained by the Marine Department.

Qualifications for Certificates of Competency.

28. A second-class certificate under these regulations will entitle the holder to take charge of any vessel propelled by gas, oil, fluid, electricity, or other mechanical power than steam, whose machinery does not exceed sixty brake horse-power, and the candidate must comply with the following conditions:—

(1.) He must be at least twenty years of age.

(2.) He must have been employed as an apprentice at the making and repairing of engines for two years, or have been tending machinery for two years (not necessarily as an apprentice) in any factory or workshop, or at work of a similar nature, or have been employed about the propelling machinery of any vessel for two years.

(3.) He must produce testimonials of sobriety for at least twelve months immediately prior to the date of application.

(4.) He must be able to read and write the English language and must understand the first five rules of arithmetic, and in addition be able to work out the capacity of a tank such as is used for the carriage of oil in vessels, and must also be able to work out simple questions relating to consumption of oil, &c.

(5.) He must be able to describe any engine in ordinary use as auxiliary power or otherwise for vessels other than steam, and the use of each part of the same.

(6.) He must be able to describe in his own language the electric dynamo and connections, and describe at least one kind of cell battery that may be used in connection with the firing of the vapour in any such gasoline-engine.

(7.) He must be able to state clearly how he could overcome defects that may arise, and also how he would repair slight breakdowns to the machinery.

29. A candidate for a first-class engineer’s certificate of competency under these regulations must comply with the following conditions:—

(1.) He must be at least twenty-one years of age.

(2.) He must have served for not less than three years as an apprentice at the making and repairing of engines, or at work of a similar nature, or he must have sailed for one year as engineer of a ship propelled by gas, oil, fluid, electricity, or other mechanical power than steam with a second-class certificate of competency, and must produce satisfactory evidence of sobriety and good conduct for at least twelve months immediately prior to date of application.

(3.) He must, in addition to qualifications required by second-class engineer, be able to make a drawing of any part of the engines (as used for such ships) —not necessarily an elaborate drawing, but at least an intelligible hand-sketch showing dimensions, &c.

(4.) He must pass a thorough examination relative to the mechanical construction of engines in general use in ships propelled by gas, oil, fluid, electricity, or other mechanical power than steam.

(5.) He must be able to explain how he would overcome breakdowns that may occur, much more fully than in the second-class examination.

30. A candidate for engineer’s certificate of competency for auxiliary-powered vessels for restricted limits must comply with the following conditions:—

(1.) He must be at least nineteen years of age, and must be able to read and write the English language.

(2.) He must by oral examination satisfy the Examiner as to his knowledge of the class of engines in general use in ships propelled by gas, oil, fluid, electricity, or other mechanical power than steam, and employed in these limits.

31. Time served in steamers plying within restricted limits and within harbours, &c., does not count as service at sea for the purpose of obtaining a certificate of competency for a sea-going ship.

32. Candidates for examination when making their application on Form Exn. 3 will be required to pay the examination-fees before any step is taken, whether by inquiry into their service or testing their qualifications, &c. No part of the fee will under any circumstances be returned to them; but, should it be found that their service is not sufficient to entitle them to be examined, or, at least, their testimonials are unsatisfactory, they will be allowed to present themselves for examination without payment of any further fee when they have fulfilled the requisite service or are able to produce satisfactory testimonials, as the case may be.

33. The fee for examination must be sent to the Principal Examiner, at the office of the Chief Inspector of Machinery, Wellington, along with the application and testimonials, and must be in money or postal notes. In any case in which a candidate offers money to any officer other than the proper fee to the Principal Examiner, the candidate will be regarded to have committed an act of misconduct, and will be rejected and not allowed to be examined for twelve months, either at the port where the offence was committed, or at any other port.

34. The fees are as follows:—

Restricted-limits engineer’s certificate .. £ 1 0 0
Second-class engineer’s certificate .. 1 0 0
First-class engineer’s certificate .. 1 0 0

In case of failure to pass the examination half the fee will be returned.

General Rules as to Examinations.

35. All books necessary for the use of candidates under examination will be provided by the Examiners, and applicants are not permitted to take into the examining-room any book, paper, document, or memoranda of any description whatever.

36. Candidates will be allowed, in the time allotted, to cancel any part of their work, and, when required, additional papers will be supplied by the Examiner, but they will not be allowed to work out the problems on a slate or on waste paper. The additional sheets must be attached to and form part of the examination-papers.

37. Candidates for first-class certificates have to pass an examination in rough working-drawing, which may, in the candidate’s option, be either hand-sketches clearly dimen-